Januzaj failed to impress during his loan spell with Dortmund. (Picture: Getty)

Adnan Januzaj’s loyalty to Manchester United was the reason he failed to live up to expectations during a recent loan spell with Borussia Dortmund.

Januzaj, 20, joing United’s youth academy at the age of 16 before progressing into the first team plans by making his debut in the Community Shield victory under then manager David Moyes.

The Belgian international went on to make 27 Premier League appearances that season before his development slowed, David Moyes was sacked and Januzaj fell out of favour under new boss Louis van Gaal.

But given the opportunity to impress at one of the Bundesliga’s leading clubs, Januzaj had his loan spell cut short by Borussia Dortmund because they failed to cut his Manchester United imbilical cord, claims manager Thomas Tuchel:

‘A part of him was always still in Manchester and we just couldn’t help him cut this umbilical cord,’ said Tuchel in an interview for the March 2016 issue of FourFourTwo.

‘He didn’t wholly embrace Borussia. He always compared everything with how it had been at United.’